Tomorrow, Zambians will go to the polls to shape our common future and uphold our country’s democratic ideals. The Christian Churches Monitoring Group (CCMG) will be there to provide independent, impartial, and evidence-based information throughout and after election day. For the past year, CCMG has conducted comprehensive observation of the electorc..l cycle, including voter registration, boundary delimitation, candidate nominations, and the pre-election environment and campaign period. Since the beginning of March. CCMG has had 330 long-term observers (LTOs) deployed across every constituency. district, and province.
As we reflect on the eve of the elections, CCMG remains deeply concerned by the rise in election related violence and intimidation ahead of election day. Our most recent long-term observation (LTO) data notes several incidents of clashes between party supporters, disruptions of campaign events by armed youths, and physical assaults. Since CCMG’s last LTO report in early July, there have been seventeen (17) addi:ional confirmed incidents of violence across the country, largely by party cadres and supporters. We are particularly concerned by recent and alleged reports of the arrests and detention of artists and political figures, and CCMG calls on Zambia·s security forc�s to provide clarification about these allegations. Credible elections are predicated on an open and fair campaign environment in which all can participate free from fear. threat, or intimidation.
We call on all citizens – as first time and returning voters, candidates, party leaders and supporters, election officials, and traditional and religious leaders t•J embrace peace and strongly condemn all forms of violence, intimidation and harassment. The 2026 General Elections are a defining moment for our collective dignity and citizen trust.
Tomorrow, CCMG will be deploying 1,500 trained. non-partisan mcnitors to a nationally representative, random sample of polling stations. for a Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) – formally known as a PVT (Parallel Vote Tabulatio1). As CCMG has done for the 2015, 2016, and 2021 elections, this methodology allows us to systematically assess the quality of the opening, voting. closing. counting. and tabulation processes at a national scale and in near real time. PR VTs further serve to independently verify offic al election results by comparing the official result announced by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) with the
PRVT’s estimated range for each candidate (as well as for rejected ballots and turnout), and to provide information about the size and scope of any issues with the election day processes. We will release our preliminary findings on the election day processes on Friday, 14 August, and remain on hand to verify the presidential results following the official ECZ announcement.
CCMG’s PRVT is part of its overall commitment to non-partisan monitoring of Zambia’s electoral processes to enhance peace, transparency and inclusivity in the 2026 General Elections. Your vote is your right and your duty. We encourage all Zambians to go out and vote with confidence.
